Masala y Maíz
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Norma Listman, Saqib Keval |
| Headquarters | Mexico City , Mexico |
Area served | Mexico City |
| Products | Fusion cuisine (Mexican, African, Indian) |
| Website | www |
Masala y Maíz is a fusion dining establishment in Mexico City that integrates culinary traditions from Mexico, Africa, and India. Created by chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, the restaurant adopts the philosophy of ("rebellious "), which acknowledges colonial histories while celebrating a variety of gastronomic heritages.
Founded in 2017 within San Miguel Chapultepec, the restaurant navigated regulatory challenges and a temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately earning praise for its inventive menu. It subsequently moved to Juárez, situated close to the historic downtown area. Notable dishes include uttapam served with chickpeas and chutney, jumbo shrimps grilled with masala spices, and accompanied by za'atar-flavored raita.
Masala y Maíz has been recognized by both domestic and international critics, securing one Michelin star in Mexico’s second edition of the Michelin Guide.
Description
Masala y Maíz offers a fusion cuisine experience that merges elements from Mexican, African, and Indian culinary arts. The chefs define their style as (rebellious ), a concept that confronts colonial legacies while honoring the diverse cultures influencing their food. The restaurant’s name symbolizes its hallmark blend of Indian masala spices with Mexican staples such as maize.
The menu features items like Makai Paka-inspired esquites, dishes combining tamale with soft-shell crab, jumbo shrimp grilled with masala, selections including lamb chorizo, alongside za'atar-infused raita and almond sauce. Additionally, there is an uttapam topped with chickpeas and tamarind-date chutney. Other specialties include crispy chicken paired with a salad of fennel, jícama, and green mango. Dessert options range from chocolate tamale accompanied by orange supremes and avocado mousse to blackberry hibiscus cake, lemon tea panna cotta, and cardamom meringue featuring fig, pear, and walnut.
From an architectural perspective, Malika Verma highlights the restaurant’s fusion of Mexican brutalism with 1980s pop design elements, characterized by black textured sprayed concrete walls and ceilings painted silver to enhance light reflection.
History
Norma Listman and Saqib Keval first connected in the San Francisco Bay Area. Listman, originally from Mexico, and Keval, whose heritage includes Indian and East African roots, found culinary connections while collaborating on a party menu. In 2017, Listman returned to Mexico intending to open a tortilleria; meanwhile, Keval remained in California. After securing a lease on a property equipped with kitchen facilities, they inaugurated Masala y Maíz in San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City, focusing on community involvement, artistic creativity, and political expression.
Although slated to open on 20 September 2017, the launch was postponed due to the 2017 Puebla earthquake; during this delay, they provided hot meals to those affected. The venue attracted international visitors and featured a narrow interior layout centered around a single elongated table dividing the space.
In April 2018, local authorities temporarily shut down Masala y Maíz for reasons that were not clearly explained; the proprietors declined to pay a bribe to speed up reopening. Throughout the five-month closure period, they organized pop-up dining events throughout the city. Upon reopening in September, the restaurant faced limitations on dinner service (excluding private functions) and restrictions on selling strong alcoholic beverages due to neighborhood regulations.
In 2019, Masala y Maíz moved to Calle Marsella 72 in Colonia Juárez. The furnishings were designed by Pedro Reyes and included lightweight chairs inspired by pyramid shapes, metal elements finished through a bluing technique for a dark hue, brushed wood details, and tables crafted from Guatemalan Tikal marble. This new site featured communal seating arrangements as well as an outdoor terrace accommodating up to 34 patrons.
The COVID-19 crisis necessitated a temporary shutdown; during this time Masala y Maíz transitioned to delivery services despite its dishes not being optimized for takeout. Later on, it operated as a worker cooperative offering eggs, vegetables, bread, wine, beer, frozen pizzas, sauces, and artisanal products from partner producers under a profit-sharing model. The restaurant also introduced pay-what-you-can initiatives described by Listman as "cooking to restore."
Masala y Maíz maintains active involvement in social and political advocacy. Listman regards food as intrinsically political and reflective of societal interrelations. The establishment supports feminist movements—for example, on International Women’s Day it invited women of various identities to dine under pay-what-they-can terms while donating proceeds from donut sales to feminist groups. The menu has included political statements endorsing anti-imperialist causes and critiquing U.S. immigration policies. Additionally, the chefs have voiced concerns about Mexico’s tax system disadvantaging small-scale producers unfamiliar with complex tax regulations.
As of 2025, Masala y Maíz operates at Calle Artículo 123, 116 C in Colonia Juárez near both Juárez metro and bus stations.
Reception
Una Pérez Ruiz awarded Masala y Maíz a rating of four out of five stars in Time Out, commending the chefs for their seamless fusion of Mexican ingredients with Indian and African spices. Food critic Marco Beteta emphasized the restaurant’s creative culinary approach alongside its thoughtfully selected natural wine offerings. Scarlett Lindeman, writing for Condé Nast Traveler, characterized the menu as a contemporary take on the classic three-course meal. Evan Upchurch, in his review for Afar, observed that the overall dining experience transcends the cuisine alone.
In 2021, Masala y Maíz was shortlisted for The Macallan Icon Award by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, a list curated by William Reed Ltd. Despite the honor, founders Listman and Keval chose to decline the nomination, voicing concerns about the organization’s promotion of a workplace culture marked by abuse and sexism, and refusing to endorse what they consider an exploitative system.
The restaurant earned a Bib Gourmand distinction from the Michelin Guide in 2024, acknowledging its "exceptionally good food at moderate prices." The following year, it was awarded one Michelin star, denoting "high-quality cooking, worth a stop." While Listman expressed ambivalence over receiving the star—feeling both honored and critical of such accolades—Keval regarded this recognition as an opportunity to push for meaningful reform within the industry.
See also
- List of African restaurants
- List of Indian restaurants
- List of Mexican restaurants
- List of restaurants in Mexico